Albemarle Rallies as Lithium Rebound Ignites Analyst Upgrades

Albemarle ( (ALB) ) has risen by 8.34%. Read on to learn why.

Albemarle shares climbed 8.34% over the past week as Wall Street turned more bullish on the lithium producer despite its recent losses. The main catalyst was an upgrade from Baird, which raised its rating to Outperform/Buy and more than doubled its price target from $113 to $210, arguing that the stock’s valuation still has room to run. Jefferies also reiterated a Buy rating with a higher target of $167, helping to reinforce the positive momentum.

Analysts see Albemarle as a key beneficiary of the latest rebound in lithium prices, driven by strong demand from stationary energy storage and a more disciplined supply backdrop in China. Baird’s Ben Kallo expects Albemarle’s Energy Storage division to show faster revenue growth and improving profit margins, helped by cost-cutting and better pricing. He also highlights that, even after the recent share rally, Albemarle trades at a discount to peers on 2026 EV/EBITDA estimates, which supports his view that the stock is still attractively valued.

Not all voices are fully bullish – Berenberg Bank has maintained a Hold rating with a $135 target – and Albemarle is still working through weak financials, reporting a quarterly net loss and slightly lower revenue versus a year ago. But the broader analyst consensus now sits at Moderate Buy, with the market increasingly focused on Albemarle’s earnings power under various lithium-price scenarios. As global demand for electric vehicles and large-scale batteries grows, investors are betting that Albemarle’s leverage to rising storage demand and improving lithium fundamentals can justify a higher share price from here.